‘Amakihi (Hemignathus virens) is one Hawaiian bird beating extinction by evolving.

Standards
Domain I, Strand 1: Doing Scientific Inquiry
Domain II, Strand 2: Biological Evolution

Lesson
Teacher Notes
Files and References
Hawaiian honeycreeper diversity
Narrate bird footage
Introductory inquiry activity; students choose relevant facts to describe the lifestyle of one species
In lab groups of 4-5, each student chooses a different bird
Materials: each group will need a computer with internet access
‘Akiapola‘au (Hemignathus munroi) video
‘Amakihi (Hemignathus virens) video
‘Apapane (Hemignathus sanguinea) video
I‘iwi (Vestiaria coccinea) video
Palila (Loxioides bailleui) video
HoneycreeperCladogram.jpg
Cladogram of extant Hawaiian honeycreepers with divergence estimates and island ages

Present bird footage
Jack Jeffreys: For The Birds
Survivors in Paradise 1
Watch Jack Jeffreys: For The Birds
Students present narrated bird videos in lab groups
Watch Survivors in Paradise 1
Jack Jeffreys: For The Birds
Survivors in Paradise 1
Basic population genetics model
‘Amakihi Breeding Lab
Day 1 of 4 inquiry activity; students design a simulation that produces random mating and allele inheritance in a given population of birds
Materials: randomness generators (dice, coins, cards) and art supplies
Guide students to record genotypes every generation, play 5 generations



Allele frequency
Allele Frequency and Improved ‘Amakihi Breeding activities
Day 2 of 4 inquiry activity; students practice calculating allele frequency, then use it as a summary statistic in an improved simulation
Both activities in one file

Natural selection
Explaining ‘Amakihi Evolution
Day 3 of 4 inquiry activity; students are given an extra rule to simulate natural selection, then observe results

Migration and genetic drift
Explaining ‘Amakihi Evolution (continued)
Day 4 of 4 inquiry activity; students are given extra rules to simulate migration and genetic drift, observe results
Same file as above
Population genetics overview and equilibrium
Population Genetics Review
Students finish Explaining ‘Amakihi Evolution lab by comparing work. Task each group to draw a cartoon explaining how ‘Amakihi evolved to tolerate malaria.
Students work in lab groups on Population Genetics Review worksheet.

Genetic mechanism of malaria tolerance
Read and discuss Immunological Markers for Tolerance to Avian Malaria in Hawaii
Survivors in Paradise 2
Divide the paper into sections, each lab group translates one section into regular language. Students read translations aloud. Then watch
Survivors in Paradise 2
  1. Nontechnical Summary and Abstract
  2. Introduction
  3. Methods: Sample Collection
  4. Discussion (first half - hypotheses)
  5. Discussion (second half - results)
  6. Conclusion
Teacher summary: Scientists were looking for differences between malaria susceptible birds from high elevation and malaria tolerant birds from low elevation. There were 3 hypotheses.
  • tolerant birds had better swelling response to mosquito bites
  • tolerant birds had more natural antibodies (NAb) in their blood
  • tolerant birds had a better diet with more antioxidants to fight infection
Results showed that tolerant birds had more NAb than susceptible birds. Tolerant bird blood had enough NAb to lyse foreign cells (they used rabbit erythrocytes) at 1:8 dilution whereas susceptible birds had fewer NAb and could not ever lyse foreign cells.

Survivors in Paradise 2